On the Edge
by The Land Of Stories
Summary: Kakashi takes Naruto away from his shabby apartment after he finds him hurt and alone. However, a strange group of people are after the neglected blonde, but is Kakashi enough to help bring Naruto back from the edge? sasunaru
1. Chapter 1

**Hi guys! I just found this little gem on my old memory stick so I've decided to upload it back on here** **(I know Autumn Wishes has this story but don't worry, Autumn Wishes is my old account which I don't have access to any more** **) I know the grammar is shoddy and it does need some work but I actually quite like it the way it is so I'm not going to change any of it.**

 **Disclaimer. The characters are not mine – I am only borrowing them to do my bidding! I only on the storyline.**

On The Edge

 **X**

 **Prologue**

 **X**

Kakashi is never the kind to be worried. However, when your only student fails to turn up for their tutoring, you start to feel the tingly claws tearing away at your insides, no matter how hard you try to convince yourself that everything is fine. He watched with empty eyes as the sun rose to its highest peak, casting its warm rays across the town of Okutama. Making up his mind, he walked out of the park and towards his pupil's home.

His student, Uzumaki Naruto, lost his parents just over ten years now; and no one knows exactly what happened. All they know was that Naruto, only six at the time, was found at the crime scene, covered in his parent's blood. Ever since that horrid night, Naruto became an outcast, a monster to the town. No one would take him in, no one would look at him, and everyone hated him.

Apart from Kakashi.

Being a family friend, he wanted to take in the small, unwanted blonde, wanted to give him love and become a parent to him. Unfortunately, they wouldn't allow it. Instead, they shoved him into a run-down apartment in the most neglected streets in Okutama. And he couldn't do anything about it.

Every day he visited Naruto, bringing him food and giving him the time and love that he's been forbidden from. He never left until the boy was sound asleep and the apartment was secure.

Sighing, he quickened his pace, the happy sunlight and warm breeze changing into a cloudy sky and a chilling wind. The streets turned from blooming flowers to burst bin-bags, rickety fences and ugly, graffiti-covered apartments. Climbing up rusty metal stairs to a line of flats, he turned the corner to Naruto's door, and stopped dead.

The door was crooked, hanging off a single hinge, swinging dangerously in the moaning wind. Soft, broken sobs drifted from the inside, and Kakashi felt his heart stutter before pounding harshly in his chest. He pushed through the door, worry overtaking his mind as he stared around the trashed room. Chairs snapped, blankets ripped, tables overturned and a sobbing teen against a cracked wall.

'Naruto…' he whispered brokenly, quickly running to the distressed boy. He quickly pulled the boy into his shaking arms, not failing to notice the bruises and cuts littering the slightly tanned face.

'K-Kakashi…' came the rough reply as he buried his face into the elders' chest, clutching with white, trembling fists. 'T-they…'

'Shh, Naruto, it's okay, you're okay.' Kakashi murmured gently, softly kissing locks of blonde. 'I'm taking you to my place, ok?'

His reply was a nod of the head against his shoulder and he carefully helped him to his feet. They walked out of the flat without looking back.

-x-


	2. Doubt

-x-

Doubt

-x-

Kakashi's house was different to what Naruto expected. He thought it would be lazily decorated, because the silver-haired man didn't seem the type to spend time on the house. All his free time he had he spent it reading those weird books of his. Instead, the house was full of warm colours and pictures of friends and family, brown leather sofas and an intoxicating spicy cinnamon scent. An old brick fireplace held dancing flames that sent a flickering amber light across the front room, and an old rug sat in front. What really made it homely, however, were the nine dogs scattered around, snoring loudly.

"What do you think?" Kakashi asked, smirking down at the astounded teen.

"It's… amazing…" Naruto murmured, his bluer than blue eyes flickering to every nook and cranny. "You really live here?"

Kakashi laughed, ruffling the golden locks lovingly. "Yes… and now you do as well."

"W-what?" Naruto turned on the spot, eyes wide in surprise and confusion, mouth hanging open. "B-but-"

"This is your home now too. You really think I would let you go back to that dingy apartment? I don't care what they do to get you back there; you're staying with me from now on."

Naruto couldn't talk, couldn't think, and couldn't control his emotions. Crystal tears glistened in deep blue eyes before flowing gently down scared cheeks, and before Kakashi could do anything, he found himself with an armful of a sobbing blonde.

"Naruto?" he asked worriedly. "What's wrong?"

"T-thank y-you, Kakashi… thank you." The blonde sniffled, clutching onto the man with tight white trembling fists. Kakashi smiled sadly, wrapping his arms around the shaking frame, softly kissing the wild sunny tendrils of hair.

"S'okay, Naruto." He smiled, one black and one red eye shimmering with his own unshed tears. "Shall I show you your room?"

Naruto nodded, reluctantly letting go of the older man and quickly wiping the tears from his face.

 _He had a home._

-x-

Days went by, and Naruto couldn't be happier. He went from being all alone to living with the only person who cares about him, the person he admires so much. They watched movies, played board games, cooked and found out some interesting stuff about the other.

Like how Kakashi is a spy. For what, however, is a complete mystery. But luckily he hasn't been called out yet. But luck hasn't been his strong point.

Karma had it in for him.

"I'll be gone for twenty four hours at the most, okay?" Kakashi reassured, tying his bandana over his red eye and pulling up his face mask. He shoved kunais and paper bombs into his black bulky belt and pulled on his navy fingerless gloves. "You'll be fine, Naruto. I promise."

The blonde nodded, looking down at the floor, scratching absentmindedly at his elbow. He didn't want Kakashi to go. What if he abandons him like everyone else did? He didn't think he would be able to cope.

Kakashi frowned under his face mask and placed his hands on the hunched shoulders, squeezing them softly. "I'll be back, knucklehead. I swear." Naruto looked up with watery eyes into the only visible one, searching it for any trace of a lie. There wasn't.

"Okay," he whispered as he followed Kakashi to the front door. His heart thumped fiercely in his chest, loud and unnerving, pounding in his ears. He continuously clenching and unclenching his sweaty fists, and then the door was there in front of him, mocking him with its majestic structure. He looked up with cornflower blue eyes as Kakashi pulled the door open.

"Bye, Naruto," Kakashi whispered before blurring away into the darkness of the chilled night.

Naruto stared into the night, right at the spot where his unofficial guardian vanished. He wanted to believe that he would come back; he really did, but inside, behind that sliver of hope that glistened away inside his soul, a much bigger cloud of violent black festered so much more strongly. It overtook the shimmering hope, replacing it with a deep, dark, unyielding darkness.

Kakashi wasn't going to come back.

-x-

Morning dawned happily, birds singing and bursts of beautiful warm colours overtaking the rich blue at the sunrise. The air, crisp and fresh, flowed and danced through the town, enveloping everything in a cool, honey-sweet embrace. Flowers of all shapes and sizes opened up as the sun caressed their petals, letting out their intoxicating fragrances that mixed with the breeze.

Most would say that this is a brilliant start to a Saturday morning, where you can sleep away the morning and yet when you get up it still feels like the sun has only just risen. However, our little blonde knucklehead thought otherwise.

He didn't get an ounce of sleep last night. He camped in the living room in front of the roaring fire, Pakkun curled contentedly in his lap. His blue eyes didn't leave the frosted window, and for many hours, stared into the murky darkness that took away the only person who cared for him. The slice of hope still burned feebly, but, the flame was starting to flicker, the seconds counting down till its unfortunate death.

He was still awake as the sun touched the horizon, dying the navy sky a violent indigo and streaked with a bright orange. He watched with empty eyes as the sky simply exploded in colour, yet, everything seemed dull and boring, the only colours he seemed to notice was the hues of greys and blacks, not the breath-taking spectrum.

The nine dogs still littering the room started barking roughly, pawing at the teens' numb legs, begging for their breakfast. A small, barely noticeable smile broke the expressionless mask as he got up and walked to the kitchen, the dogs following him, yipping happily, and tails wagging.

The sound of dog biscuits hitting the metal dishes filled the room, killing the silence that threatened to overtake the whole house. Placing the bowls onto the floor, he watched the animals gobble up their food.

For the first time since Kakashi left, he looked at his watch. It has just gone past eight in the morning, which meant that the silver haired man will be back in less than twelve hours.

He didn't feel like eating, but his body seemed to be on auto-pilot. Before he knew it, he was eating a small bowl of cereal, head propped up by his palm and spoon dangerously limp in his other.

He had no way of speeding up the time. So he decided to go and have a shower. Maybe that will make it go by at least a bit quicker. Hopefully.

Grabbing a towel from the airing cupboard, he headed for the shower, turning it to the highest temperature he could manage. Stripping, he stepped under the torrent, sighing softly as the hot water relaxed his tense muscles.

Being a spy must be a dangerous job, he started to think. Just the thought of Kakashi out there, maybe injured or worse made Goosebumps break out across his chilled skin, the water now running down the planes of his back. However, he knew that his unofficial guardian was fast. Real fast. And had great reflexes. Maybe Kakashi will come back uninjured. After all, he's been fine the past many years. Hopefully, everything will be okay in the end. But if it's not okay, is it still the end? Naruto frowned as he lathered his gold locks in his vanilla shampoo.

He hoped that Kakashi is okay.

-x-

Stars littered the velvet blanket of the ethereal sky, shining like millions of crushed diamonds. Soft, grey clouds were crested by the light of the full, luminous moon as they slugged lazily across the wide expanse of the ozone. Leaves rustled in the cold, biting wind, gentle shafts of moonlight filtering through them. Plants swayed contentedly, dogs barked and a shadowed blur sneaked up to the heavily locked door of a large, rundown building. Dense clusters of mould grew in the cracks of the windows, and an unrelenting aura seemed to drown the area with dread. This isn't a place to mess around in.

One wrong move and you're dead.

Kakashi barely dared to breathe. The air, thick and heavy with the stench of blood, whistled loudly as it blew in a strong wind. The silver-haired spy nimbly leaned against the rusting door, fingers brushing the locks whilst one hand reached into a pocket and pulled out a bobby pin. With skill that any burglar would kill for, he quickly and silently unlocked the many locks and pushed the door open just a crack. A feeble, flickering amber light glowed in the darkness of the night, and Kakashi felt a warm heat caressing his face. Along with this gentle light, however, came the piercing screams that echoed loudly in the empty clearing.

Realising that the cost is clear, he squeezed through the gap and closed it behind him. Candles burned from every corner, bouncing of the many silver chains hanging from the rough, stone walls. Wooden chairs were thrown about, scattered across the concrete floor, and blood was smeared in a line, leading towards another locked door. There were no guards.

Eyebrows creasing, he cautiously walked to the other locked door, careful not to step in the smeared line of crimson blood. Ears pricked, he listened for anything that would warn him that someone is coming. Instead of unlocking the wooden door, he pushed his ear against the rotting wood.

"I-I'm telling you he wasn't there!" a dry, broken voice of a man filtered through, high-pitched in fear and pain.

"Stop lying! He has got to be there, you piece of shit. He has nowhere else to go! Now where is he!" this time, a much stronger, much more powerful voice drifted to Kakashi, anger clearly woven into the booming voice. The spy frowned. Who are they after?

The victim didn't answer. A sharp crack of a whip sounded, followed by an agonising scream of pain, chains clanging softly. "I-I don't k-know!" the voice was weaker this time, desperate pleading in every tone. "H-his house was already t-trashed when I got there. V-villagers broke in b-before I could. I think he m-might've ran away."

Kakashi's only visible eye widened. They couldn't be talking about Naruto, right? He pushed his ear harder against the bark, hearing a shuffle of clothes and the whimpers of the victim. Echoing footsteps slapped against the cold, concrete floor, and Kakashi knew that the man with the booming voice was pacing threateningly.

"Is there anyone at all that wouldn't help the brat? If you give me a name, I'll spare your pathetic life." The man growled, standing still.

Kakashi held his breath, fingers white against the door and eyes narrowed in concentration. He needed each and every detail.

"T-there is one p-person…" the victim said, and Kakashi imagined a shaky sneer adorning his pale face. "Who is very close to the b-brat… very close indeed –"

"Well, what is his name!" the man cut in, anger evident in his voice. "Tell me and I will spare your life."

There was a pause, and a silence so thick it pushed down painfully on Kakashi's eardrums. His heart, pounding hard in his chest, felt like it was going to break through his ribs at any moment.

"His name is Hatake Kakashi."

 _Shit._


	3. Panic

-x-

Panic

-x-

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

Time shuddered to a stop as Kakashi froze on the spot. His heart, slow and painful with every beat, seemed to halt, the warm crimson blood turning to ice in his veins. Then, everything restarted in a whirl of motion, blurring together as the strong scent of blood assaulted his mind, and one, single thought whispered through his pounding head.

 _Naruto._

Eyes narrowing in concentration, he pushed his feet hard against the gravelled floor, propelling himself through the air with an unnatural human grace that only cats could achieve. A biting wind stung his face, and he breathed it in deeply, wanting to rid his senses of the coppery, bitter scent of blood. He landed without a sound on a low branch of a tree closest to the building, and with a speed that only a cheetah can run, thrust himself into the dense cluster of tall, lanky trees.

He didn't care if the mission he was sent on failed. At the moment, the only thing important to him was to get back to his blonde knucklehead of a son and make sure he's safe.

Wait… _what?_

Kakashi's eyebrows furrowed, rethinking that sentence and almost stumbling as he realised he called Naruto his _son._ Yes, it's true that he cares for the boy a lot more than a family friend should, but Naruto had this power to make everyone like him. He even turned the demon of the sand village – aka Gaara – into a worshiped, caring person and a great – very overprotective – friend. However, over the years of looking after the blonde and basically watched him grow; he couldn't help but feel the warm spark of fatherly love growing stronger in his stomach as each day passed.

Yes. If he could, he would adopt Naruto in an instant, and finally become the father he has always wanted to be.

But first things first. He needed to get home and then sort out his things so they can to move villages quickly. Both of them probably have a group of ANBU following their tracks, so his time to get home and get out of there was a couple of hours, tops.

That's if he is lucky.

-x-

After the relaxing and time-wasting shower, Naruto walked slowly to his room and threw himself onto his bed, staring at the white ceiling. He liked his room. The walls are a burnt orange, and posters of films and bands covered them. The dark, wooden floor is littered with old magazines and clothes, and the wooden blinds hung up at the window clattered with every gust of wind.

His blue eyes ached with tiredness, and before he knew it, he found himself letting the soft whispers of unconsciousness pull him down into their warm, dark embrace.

-x-

Kakashi panted deeply, leaning heavily against an intensely shadowed building across the street from his own house. His side pulsed with pain as the stitch he received from running so fast gradually dulled. His face held a slick sheen of sweat, clear of face masks and bandanas. Opening his eyes, he quickly searched the area, looking for a shadow, a rustle of leaves or soft, barely noticeable footsteps. He sighed in relief when he couldn't spot or hear a thing out of place. Wiping the back of his hand over his forehead, he leaned down and ran as fast as he could to his dark, lifeless building. When he saw there were no blinds or curtains open, he quickened his pace, crazy yet possible thoughts rolling through his head.

The late morning sun beat down heavily onto his jumper-clad body, its autumn heat much warmer than he expected. Sneaking up to the back door, he unlocked it with his trusted bobby pin, cautiously opening it slowly. When nothing jumped out at him, he stepped inside and looked around with analysing eyes.

No sign of the blonde yet.

He stepped carefully into the hall and down to the living room, where he spotted his nine dogs asleep in various places. He smiled softly before heading upstairs.

Figuring that his house is empty apart from the dogs and Naruto, he looked into each room for the said blonde. He smiled as relief filled him when he found the knucklehead fast asleep on his bed, wet, golden hair shining brightly in the streams of sunlight. He quickly jogged over and placed a hand on the unconscious teens' shoulder and shook it gently.

"Oi, Naruto, wake up."

"Hmmnn…" the blonde rolled over, tucking his hands under his head and curling his legs. Kakashi would've smiled if the situation wasn't as life-threatening as it was.

"Naruto!" he shouted urgently as he shook the boy roughly, sighing when cloudy blue eyes fluttered open.

"'Kashi?" the sleepy teen murmured, blinking the sleep out of his eyes. Kakashi jumped back as the teen's eyes widened and pounced out of bed, and found himself being hugged tightly, small arms wrapped securely around his stomach. "I didn't think you'd come back…"

Kakashi grimaced. "Naruto, I'm sorry, but we have to leave right away. Pack everything that you need, okay? We need to leave soon."

Naruto winced at the worry in his unofficial guardians' eyes, and nodded quickly. "What happed, Kakashi?" he questioned, slipping out of bed and picking up his worn orange backpack. "Are you okay?"

"I'm Fine Naruto. Now get packing. I don't know how much time we have until they find us."

Naruto swallowed loudly at the bitterness in Kakashi's usually kind voice, and rushed around the room, packing everything important with unusual quickness.

Just who was Kakashi talking about? Did something go terribly wrong during the mission? Why did they have to leave? Naruto blinked, surprised at all the questions running through his mind. However, he pushed them aside for now. They needed to get out. Luckily, he didn't need to change. After his shower, he dressed in his everyday clothes.

Staring around his room one last time, he walked out the door, closing it softly. He couldn't believe how hard it was to leave the place that he called home for the first time.

Running down the stairs, he walked quickly into the kitchen, where Kakashi was packing speedily, filling a black duffle bag full of cans and packets of food. He paused to look at the confused blonde, but continued after seeing that the blonde was all packed.

"What are you going to do with the dogs?" Naruto suddenly asked, rummaging in the fridge to see if there was anything he could add.

"I have already taken them to stay with a friend. We don't have time to take them with us." He closed the bag and swung it up onto his shoulder. "Are you ready?"

Naruto nodded, and followed Kakashi to the front door, blue eyes wondering around for the last time. His heart thumped loudly, painfully as the door inched closer, and soon they would leave the small town of Okutama, possibly for ever.

Kakashi, back heavily covered in bags, quickly took to running, not bothering to lock the door. Having already handed his dogs to his friend, they can get straight out before ANBU caught up. Hopefully, they wouldn't find out where they were heading.

Naruto pumped his legs, trying to keep up with Kakashi's unbelievable speed, the orange sun reaching its highest point in the sky. Running down a dark alleyway, they came to a stop outside a barely noticeable garage that blended in with the shadows. Kakashi pulled out a set of keys and pushed a button, and with a groan, the garage door lifted up, creaking with disuse.

Inside sat an ordinary car, green paint scratched and metal rusted. Kakashi smiled as he walked inside, brushing the cobwebs aside and climbed into the front seat.

Naruto did the same. Wrinkling his nose at the acrimonious smell he clambered into the passenger seat next to the silver-haired spy, slamming the door shut and dropped his backpack down by his feet. Kakashi sent a reassuring smile at him before starting the engine, which came to life with a horrific moan, and backed out of the garage.

Soon, they were on their way to a place unknown.

-x-


	4. Demons Of The Night

-x-

Demons of the night

-x-

-x-

The evening was kind and gentle to the sky, dying it in rich hues of warm colours that exploded against the horizon. Stars glittered in the deepening ozone, making it a spectacular sight that's unusual in the city.

A single, worn-out green car could be seen speeding through a dirt road, trapped by dense clusters of trees and bushes either side. Dust swirled behind them, a dark, murky grey. Inside this green car, sat a tall, silver-haired man, whose hands clutched tightly to the steering wheel, slick with sweat. Next to him, a small blonde dozed lightly, cheek against the cool glass of the smudged window, completely oblivious to the danger the pair was in.

Kakashi, the taller male, had both eyes trained on the small road, pushing the small green car to its limit. They needed to get away. Far, far away.

Over the next hour, the sky darkened considerably, now an inky black with no stars in sight. The darkness pushed against the car, making it feel like they were roughly tearing their way through thick, dense fog.

Soon, rain started to beat against the windows, pounding as loud as drums. To Kakashi, the night couldn't get any worse. Taking a quick glance in a wind mirror, he swore loudly, trying to push the heap of metal faster –

And then, out of nowhere, out of nothing, they were surrounded. At least five cars were around them, formed in a vast circle, blocking off every other way except for straight forward. Kakashi let out a loud curse. They were trapped.

Naruto groggily opened his eyes and looked around cautiously, looking for the source of the shout that pierced through his unconsciousness. His orbs landed on a trembling Kakashi, whose knuckles were white and gaunt. Tree branches scraped loudly against the car, which rocked forcibly by the sharp rocks that littered the ground. The growl of thunder echoed in the distance, and blinding flashes of lightning lit up the small country road on which they were driving on.

"Kakashi? What's going on?"

The silver-haired spy quickly glanced at the wide-eyed blonde, inwardly wishing that he stayed asleep. "We're being followed, Naruto. This is going to be a rough ride."

Naruto gasped, face paling drastically. "They found us? How?"

Kakashi grimaced. "They have many ways of tracking people, Naruto. I'm surprised we didn't see them before now."

The blonde turned to look out the back window, and he could feel the tendrils of panic slowly wrapping around him, making it hard to breathe. "How are we going to lose them?.!"

"Don't worry Naruto, please. I won't let them get y- us. I promise."

Naruto nodded shakily, sinking into his seat at eyes trained on nothing. He couldn't help but think that they're not going to be able to escape, but he trusted Kakashi with everything he had. He just had to believe.

"Hold on Naruto!" Kakashi suddenly barked, turning the wheel sharply yet again, the car crashing through a hidden road. The said blonde yelped as he was lurched sideward, hitting his head against the window with a sharp _thwack._ Naruto lost any sense of where they were; tree branches scraping, engines roaring, and he was clinging to his seatbelt for dear life.

The small car zoomed forwards; Naruto glimpsed the glossy back cars again, but this time they were much closer.

"Kakashi!"

"I know, Naruto!"

Naruto could not take it in, and his terror for their lives was intense. The headlights of the pursuing cars glared blindingly, fortunately lighting up their way as they pushed their way through the tiny road.

"Hold on, Naruto, this'll will give us the advantage!" Kakashi yelled, and Naruto looked up in time to see Kakashi slamming a thin finger into a red button on the dashboard.

With an unmistakable bellowing roar, the car lurched forward; the momentum slamming them both back against the seats, and thick, black smoke erupted from the exhaust, hiding them from view. The speed, faster than even a race car could achieve, was as wild and as frightening as being caught up in a tornado. Their seats creaked threateningly as they were pushed back with such force, feeling like they were about to explode at any moment. The rusty car bonnet slammed and crashed into unfortunate trees, the metal slowly but surely crunching sickly into itself.

Kakashi swerved and zigzagged, trying desperately to throw off their pursuers, sharp curses escaping every second. So far, they haven't seen one sleek car appear from the lingering, smouldering black smoke.

Naruto had no clue where they were heading now; for all they know, they could be retracing the route straight back to the small town of Okutama.

Suddenly, their view of the thick vines and braches disappeared, showing them a crystal clear view of the stormy night sky. The rocking of the car stopped and Naruto felt horror grip him in a strangling hold. They were airborne!

Kakashi yelled, not expecting the sudden lack of road, and he lurched to the side, grabbing the trembling blonde close to his chest as they felt the car twist and drop, their stomachs rising sickly into their mouths. The piece of metal fell like a bullet, plunging straight for the shimmering, lapping water of a lake. Kakashi swore and in desperation, shoved them through Naruto's door. They both held onto each other, tightly, both trembling with fear as a biting wind groaned and icy rain pounded on them from above.

abruptly, they both hit the water with a tremendous speed, and the cold, sub-zero water stung like a thousand stabbing knifes all over their bodies. Naruto gasped in pain. Water, slimy and bitter, rushed down his throat and up his nose, choking him and filling his lungs. He barely registered the arm wrapped tightly around his chest, dragging him upwards through the heavy, forceful water.

Not being able to hold on to consciousness, he let the darkness take him.

X


	5. Reminiscing

-x-

Reminiscing

-x-

Suddenly, his head broke through the surface.

How disorientating. He'd been sure he was dying.

It was strange though. All he could see was darkness, thick and heavy; he felt trapped. And yet, he could still feel something strong wrapped around his chest, and a pounding thumped the centre of his back sharply, rhythmically, pushing the slimy water from his lungs. It gushed out in amazing amounts, torrents pouring from his nose and mouth. The salt burned his throat and lungs as it was forced upwards, and his throat was too full of the bitter liquid to catch a breath. He could hear someone else's heavy breathing next to him, along with the slap of wet clothes and the howling wind that whipped around them. And yet, his body couldn't feel a thing apart from that secure arm and that painful pounding.

"Come on Naruto! Breathe!" A familiar voice yelled, wild with anxiety.

But he could not comply.

The torrents of water pouring from his mouth and nose didn't let up enough for him to catch a single breath, and the black, icy water that filled his chest burned like an uncontrollable fire. The pounding became harder, faster, and more frantic as more and more water choked its way out of his lungs.

"Breathe, Naruto! C'mon, please!" the voice begged, loud and pleading.

The blackness whirled, and suddenly the crash of water stopped, and painful, even _whooshes_ filled his cotton-filled ears. It felt like someone had scraped his airways raw with sandpaper.

"That's it, Naruto. Keep breathing for me, that's it." The voice – which he now recognised as Kakashi's – was still tense, but nowhere as wild as before. "You need to wake up now, Naruto. Wake up for me."

The contents of his head rolled sickeningly, as if he was still falling from the sky...

Soft, trembling fingers stroked his cheeks, over his forehead before resting at the base of his neck, cupping his head like one would do to a baby. They were warm, and left trails of fire on the icy skin that they touched. Naruto wanted to move into that warmth, to shield him from the thousands of sharp, icy beads that was striking him all over painfully.

The touch brought him into a more focused awareness. He realised that his head was resting on somebody's lap, the frigid clothes burning as it rubbed against his beady skin. Something grainy scraped against his bare arms, and he realised that the _whoosh_ in his ears was his own steady – yet painful – breathing.

A thumb brushed over his eyelids, which felt like they were glued closed, forever sealed from the world.

"Come on Naruto, you need to wake up!" Kakashi's voice, still full of desperateness, made him try to pry his eyes open, and finally, _finally_ saw the dark night sky and Kakashi's pale white face staring closely at him. "Good lad, Naruto. Good lad." The silver-haired man broke into a relieved smile.

"K-K-'Kashi?" The blonde whispered through blue lips, wincing as a sharp pain tore through his throat.

"It's okay, Naruto. I'm here, I'm here." His voice was soothing and gentle, but still held a slight tremor. "Can I pick you up, Naruto? We need to get you warmed up."

Naruto nodded, his eyes falling closed, wanting to leave the pain and go back to the calm blackness.

'No, Naruto! Keep them open, you must keep them open!" His unofficial guardian's panicked voice made him snap them open, and he watched with haziness as Kakashi cautiously lifted him up into his arms, placing him securely on his back.

 _But I don't want to!_ He wanted to yell, but his lips couldn't even twitch, let alone the movements. Instead, he buried his face in-between Kakashi's shoulder blades as he felt the older man start to run. The soft swaying movement didn't help him stay awake. Instead it lulled him into deep sleep, which he welcomed with open arms just to escape the piercing cold.

Soon, everything went dark.

-x-

Kakashi ran like he never had before. Adrenaline pumped through his veins like a deadly poison, making the aches and pains in his muscles invisible along with the icy cold that beaded his skin. Naruto's arms were draped over his shoulders, skin as white as snow, and a faint tint of blue showed at the tips of the fingers. The young blonde had stopped shivering a few minutes ago; but he didn't know if that was a good or a bad thing.

Blurring through the forest, they finally came upon a tall, iron gate held up by two white stone pillars. A sliver sign had 'Konoha' engraved in capitals. The two guards standing by either side of the gate quickly stood straight and drew their swords, stepping in the way.

"No outsiders aloud." One of them said gruffly, looking Kakashi up and down from under his silver headband.

"We've came to see Tsunade," Kakashi said quickly, hefting his bundle up more securely onto his back. "She knows that we're coming."

The guard stayed silent, cold, brown eyes narrowed in suspicion before brusquely replying. "Name?"

"Hatake Kakashi and Uzumaki Naruto."

The guard sneered as he pulled out a walky-talky, turning around as he spoke in hushed whispers. Kakashi waited impatiently. The aches in his muscles came back with a vengeance, and he had to lock his knees to stop from crumpling to the floor. This was their only hope of a new start.

The guard turned around and nodded to his partner, and they both stepped aside. The gates creaked open, and Kakashi rushed inside. They needed medical attention, so the sooner they saw Tsunade, the sooner they could help Naruto.

The guard leading them was walking at a far too slow pace, and Kakashi growled. Couldn't he see that they were hurt?

"Could you walk a bit faster?" Kakashi growled, eyes flashing dangerously as he glared and sneered at the ugly guard.

"I _Could,_ " the guard hissed, "But I don't feel like you idiots are worth using my precious energy. So shut it!"

Kakashi literally had to force himself to carry on walking in the slow, feet-dragging pace, but his fingers twitched and a wolf-like growl burst through his pale, chapped lips.

"I'm warning you, asshole." The Konoha resident said stiffly, not looking back at the two sodden strangers. "You are outsiders, and therefore will be treated as so until proven otherwise. So hurry up. Tsunade hates to be kept waiting." And with that, he picked up his pace – ignoring the feral growl from Kakashi – and led them straight to her office without another word.

The silver-haired man knocked lightly but quickly on the large wooden door standing in front of him. He could hear the shuffling of papers and a tap of a cup being placed onto a desk before short, brisk footsteps made their way towards them.

"Ah, Kakashi! Long time no see, eh?" she yipped happily, brushing her blond hair out of her closed eyes before opening them slowly. Her golden orbs flashed with surprise as she took in her friends' ragged appearance. "Kakashi!.? What happened to you?" she quickly stepped aside, letting her friend inside her warm, cosy office that stank of old leather and sake.

"We were followed." Kakashi said quickly, pushing away Tsunades' hands as they started to search him for injuries. "Naruto! I need you to help Naruto, not me!" he pulled the cold, small bundle off his back and into his arms, cradling him softly against his chest.

If Tsunade was surprised, that was an understatement. They knew each other since playschool and upwards, and never before had she seen her friend as caring and as worried as he was now. His arms wrapped around the small blonde trembled but held the boy with such gentleness, that she couldn't help but wonder how the perverted Kakashi she knew back then was now standing in front of her.

However, all thoughts were swept from her mind as she saw how frightfully pale the boy was.

"Shit!" she muttered angrily, shouting at Kakashi to bring the boy over to the bed in the far side of the room, next to a bookshelf full of medication and everything else she would need. Yes, there was a proper hospital in Konoha, but only the most critical patients came to her; the most talented nurse in the town. Naruto's case, which was not yet critical, could not be told how long it would be _before_ it turned critical. Besides, she would always help Kakashi's friends, no matter how big or small the problem was.

She wasted no time of ridding the lad of his clothes, only leaving his underwear to see if there were any extensive injuries. Beside her, Kakashi watched with frantic eyes, nervously twisting his hands into his silver hair and pulling it hard.

He's so cold..." the blond murmured, and the older man could hear the slight tremor in her voice, yet her hands were perfectly still as they checked her charge for broken bones. She breathed a sigh of relive when she found none. However, it was cut short as the realisation hit her like a brick. "He has Hypothermia!" she quickly turned to the sodden man with wild eyes. "Undress now, Kakashi! Only keep on your underwear! He needs warming up, quickly!"

Before she even finished talking, Kakashi was stripping himself of his wet clothes, flinging them on the floor, not caring if the lake water was soaking into the green carpet. He barely noticed Tsunade grabbing a few thick blankets and layering the quilt which was now over the boy, before she started to strip off her own garments.

Kakashi, once undressed, quickly skittered under the heap of blankets, wrapping his long arms around the frozen body of his boy, pulling him close so they were chest to chest. Soon after, he heard the sheets rustle as thin arms wrapped round the boys' back, and she pushed herself flush against his back.

The only way to cure Hypothermia was by someone else's body heat.

For once, Kakashi was glad he was taller than most men. He was able to fight off his own case of Hypothermia with his size and the running he did to get to this town. But never before has he ever felt skin this cold. It felt like icy water, and it stung his skin like a thousand stabbing needles, and it took all his strength not to flinch away from the biting cold. He took the boys' small, blue hands into his own, rubbing them softly, trying to get the blood flow back to normal, hoping to rid his lad of that horrid pasty blue tinge Naruto's skin had acquired.

"Kakashi?" Tsunades' low voice whispered, making him drag his eyes upwards to connect with hers over a head of tousled blonde hair. "What happened?"

Kakashi sighed sadly as he remembered the tang of blood in the abandoned warehouse, the screams of pain, and that frightening, life-threatening chase. Closing his eyes, he started from the beginning. He could trust Tsunade with his life.

The blond gasped and winced in all the right places, but he felt her thin, elegant arms wrap tighter around Naruto as he told her the bit when their car plunged into the lake. "I'll have to check his throat and lungs for damage," she murmured, brushing her fingers through the strands of blonde hair of the boy lying unresponsively between them.

"When do you think he'll wake?"

Tsunades' golden eyebrows furrowed slightly in thought. "It depends..." She muttered, staring into Kakashis' familiar eyes. "For all we know he could wake up tonight or next week. It's entirely up to him and his body."

Kakashi frowned. He wanted to see those dazzling blue eyes desperately, just to know that he was indeed okay. But for now, he would just have to deal with holding him and relishing in the soft rhythmic rise and fall of his breaths.

"Do you know the group that's after you two?" Tsunade whispered into the silence of the room, voice high in curiousness.

The silver-haired man shook his head slightly. "I only know their name. Akatsuki."

 _Akatsuki..._ Tsunade rattled round her brain, somehow realising that she recognised it. Where from, however, was a complete mystery. "Is it a big group?"

"Around eight people, but there could be more. I'm not entirely sure."

"Well they won't get past our guards." The blond said with a hint of a smile upon her young face.

Kakashi chuckled, but it sounded fake to both pairs of ears. "You've got that right. They were a right pain. Once they let us in, one led us up here with the speed of a snail."

"Really?" Tsunade gasped, eyes wide with anger. "Didn't they realise that you two needed medical attention?"

"Of course they did." Kakashi scoffed, wrinkling his nose. "I bet they thought we were faking to get into the town. They looked at us like we were nothing more than the dirt on their shoes." He watched as the woman's face changed from creamy white to a burnt crimson, top lip twitching into a snarl.

"I'm gunna-"

"It doesn't matter, Tsunade. We're here, safe and alive. Isn't that what counts?"

He watched as the redness slowly vanished, her gold eyes turning gentle once more. "What is Naruto to you?" she asked quietly, carding her fingers through the gold locks once more.

"He's like a son to me." He whispered gently, gazing down at the very pale face. "Back in Okutama, I was the only one who cared about him, who knew who he really was. Everyone else saw him as a monster that killed his parents. But they didn't see him when I and the ANBU police found him. I never want to see him in that state again, but that look told me that he's innocent." Venom burned in the man's rough voice, and his fists clenched painfully. "Since then, I've grown to care for him, and now I don't know what I'd do without him."

"He looks familiar," Tsunade whispered. "Who were his parents?"

"I know you knew Namikaze Minato," Kakashi said with a small smile, mind lost in memories of his older mentor. "He used to bully you constantly. You were his _'Little Squirt._ '" Tsunade growled at that nickname, but he could see the humour and sadness dancing in her eyes. "He loved us though. We were like a younger brother and sister to him, and he used to get so protective of us 'Little 'uns'.

"He was so excited that he was going to have a son. You could tell in how he acted, how he stood and all the expressions that flickered and danced through his eyes that he thought he was the luckiest man alive. His wife was Uzumaki Kushina. You could tell just by the way he looked at her, how much he loved her.

"Kushina was a primary school teacher. Our fourth year teacher, to be exact. Remember the woman with the long fiery red hair we used to call 'Miss Ku?'"

Realization sparkled in Tsunades' eyes, and a shocked grin appeared on her face. "Really? But she was so young! And so beautiful."

"Yeah. They fell in love the first time they saw each other, and got married at the age of seventeen. They had little Naruto when Kushina was twenty one. That's why she had to leave. They died when he was six."

"That's terrible." Tsunade said, trying to stifle a yawn. "I can't even imagine growing up without my brother. He must've been so very lonely."

"I did the best I could. I was only eighteen at the time, and Naruto had no one else but me to trust."

The blond hummed. "And by the looks of it, you did a great job." She smiled reassuringly, eyes twinkling as she yawned again. "Hmm... I think it's time for bed."

"Yeah." He looked down at Naruto. His skin still felt chilled, but not as bad as before. "Should we stay here?" he asked.

"If you want to."

Her response was a tightening grip on the young boy.

"Night, Kakashi."

"Night, Tsunade."

And with that, they both feel into sleeps warm embrace.

-x-


	6. The Raven

-x-

The Raven

-x-

Naruto was floating. Floating in a deep, dark, endless nothingness. He simply floated. But he didn't mind that at all. He remembered nothing; his name, his past, his friends, his family. And he didn't care. His mind was an empty haze that only focused on two things; that is was black and he was floating. Nothing else mattered.

Then suddenly, awareness flickered. He wanted to struggle against it, but the soft touches made him stop. They danced across his skin, smoothing over his forehead and gripped his hand tight. His struggles stopped. He wanted more of these caring touches, so he relaxed and let the awareness grab him with its shadowy tendrils and pull him further away from his darkness.

But then the pain flared. His skin burned and stung like wasp stings. It made him gasp and choke, so he did the only thing that came to mind.

He retreated.

-x-

Kakashi sighed. It has been three days, and not even a twitch was seen from the blonde. He looked tiny in the large bed, the blankets swamping him and blonde hair spilling out over the white pillow. His skin, still awfully pale, no longer held that horrid tinge of blue. Kakashi was relieved. His respect for his old childhood friend had grown tremendously over the years, but now, after she saved the boy that had foolishly wormed his way into his heart, he couldn't help the swell of gratitude from appearing every time he saw her.

However, that gratitude somewhat dimmed when she pulled him away from his spot next to his son and forced him to take a shower. And then, to his horror, she forced him to wear clothes that didn't fit him. Well, it wasn't their fault they lost their luggage in the plunge. It was either jump out the door, or stay with the luggage and drown, stuck in that horrid green car.

But, he needed that shower. The hot water felt lovely against his chilled skin, and he wouldn't miss that horrid, pungent smell of lake water. Ick.

But the worst thing was that Tsunade was forcing him to go and sign up for some jobs. And when Tsunade was angry, you wanted to be nowhere near her when she strikes. She could be deadly when she wanted to.

"Come on, Kakashi! You _need_ to go and get a job! I _refuse_ to let you wallow in my office in a daze when you should be out supporting yourself and Naruto!"

"But Tsunadeee-"

"No buts, Kakashi! Do you even have a place to call home yet?"

"No, but-"

"KAKASHI! Move it!"

"But Naruto-"

"Naruto will be fine!" Tsunade grounded out, eyes flashing and fingers twitching in annoyance. Kakashi sounded more like a hormonal teenager that a twenty-eight year old. "I already have someone to watch over him whist we are out. He owes me a favour."

Kakashi stayed quiet, yet his eyes spoke volumes. She could see the need to go out there and get a job and a home to raise the twerp, but she could also see the reluctance of leaving the blonde. He wanted to be here when he woke up. Finally, he gave a stiff nod.

"Okay, Tsunade. You win. But tell me... who will be looking after Naruto?" he stared down at her, eyes as cold and hard as rocks.

It was Tsunades' turn to be reluctant. "Urr..."

"What? He's not some kind of axe-murderer, is he?" the silver-haired man asked, crossing his arms defiantly, and raising an eyebrow. "Or a paedophile..." he gasped, gripping the blonds' shoulders and shaking them hard. "Tell me he's not a paedophile!"

Tsunade pushed him away, hard, before pushing him away. "He's not a paedophile, you twit." She scoffed. "In fact, he's not even an adult. He's the same age as Naruto, and I figured that he would like to know one person before starting college."

"You're letting a sixteen year old look after my unconscious charge?" the taller asked incredulously. "Did you inhale too much loony medicine or something?"

"Calm down, Kakashi. I know what I'm doing. Besides, it'll be good for both of them. Sasuke will take good care of him, I'm sure of it."

"How do you know?"

Tsunade paused. How _did_ she know? Sasuke was a sad case, always pushing people away who wanted to help him. But all he said was that he didn't need their pity. But after what happened, it was hard for anyone on the town to not do exactly that. Sasuke's older brother, Itachi, killed their parents and the rest of the family before vanishing into the night. Of course, no one knew why he spared his younger brother's life. Since then, Sasuke had locked away his feelings and replaced it with a cold, hard mask. And that's why she decided to let him watch over the blonde. Sasuke needed a ball of sunshine to melt his icy heart. And she'd gamble everything to say that Naruto will need him too. Besides... Sasuke _does_ owe her a favour.

"Because I do."

"What?" Kakashi spluttered, alarmed. "That's not an answer!"

"Shut it, Kakashi! Do you trust me or not? Now let me go and get Sasuke." With that said, she walked out the room with brisk footsteps.

Kakashi simply stared. He didn't know what to think. Half of him was screaming to trust Tsunade with her judgement, whilst the other half was begging him to stand up to her and refuse. Safe to say, the first half won.

A few minutes later, Tsunade burst back into the room, a boy trailing defiantly behind. He eyed the boy – which he presumed was Sasuke – critically, assessing every movement and facial expression that passed over his face. But he just stood still, motionless and emotionless, staring right at Kakashi with his sharp, black eyes. He'd never seen anyone like him.

Black hair stuck up at the back, not unlike a duck's tail-feathers, and the colour of the darkest night. Similar coloured eyes stood out from the thin, pale white face, and dark clothing – mostly blue – covered him. But everything seemed to _fit._ He looked like the kind of person who would never smile, never laugh, and would do everything by himself. He looked like a bullying type.

"Hello Sasuke," Kakashi said stiffly, forcing a smile onto his face and sticking out a large hand. "It's nice to meet you."

Sasuke looked upwards with his stony eyes to stare into Kakashis' un-matching ones, not saying anything.

"Err..." the silver-haired man quickly drew back his arm, glancing at Tsunade disbelievingly. _This is the boy that's supposed to look after Naruto?_ He opened his mouth, wanting to ask Tsunade if this was a joke, when she cut across him.

"All right!" she yipped, gripping his arm in a strangle hold and dragging him to the door. "Time to find you a job! Bye Sasuke!" ignoring Kakashi's spluttering and struggling, she smiled happily before closing the door behind them.

Sasuke sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose before moving to take the seat next to the bed. He didn't want to do this. It was a Saturday, for god's sake! No normal person would want to spend their weekend looking after some strange kid. And stupid Tsunade... who does she think she is? Acting on a favour from _years_ ago... it's pathetic, really.

He ran his long fingers through his black hair, before propping his chin up in his hand, elbow leaning on the bed. He might as well see what mess this kid has got himself into.

Messy, blonde locks spilled onto the white pillow like liquid sunshine. Pale skin – but not as pale as his own – was flawless, not a blemish in sight, apart from three parallel scars on each cheek. He frowned. How did someone get scars like that? It would be almost impossible to get them that even – even if someone was holding him down. Interest spiking, he carried on examining his patient. Long, thick black eyelashes rested gently upon the scarred cheeks, which held a slight dusting of pink – maybe from fever, or overheating. His blonde eyebrows curved relaxingly over large eyelids, and for some reason, he found himself wondering what colour his eyes would be. Maybe a golden brown? Or grey?

Next, his eyes travelled over the small nose that held a graceful curve - much like you would expect a girl's nose to look like – and landed on the soft, plump lips. They were parted slightly, soft _whooshes_ of breaths escaping. If he didn't know that the boy was a boy, he would have thought that he looked kind of... well... _girly._

Taking the unconscious boys' hand into his own, he placed his palm onto the others, opening his fingers wide so they lined up neatly together. Just as he expected – the boys' was smaller, softer, more graceful and elegant than his own. Unconsciously, Sasuke weaved his fingers between the spaces and gripped tight –

And strangely enough, their hands fitted perfectly. Frowning, he removed his hand. He couldn't explain what he felt at that moment. He couldn't describe it even if someone offered him all the yen in the world.

But he wondered. Why was this kid here, when he couldn't see any external injuries? Eyes narrowing slightly, he picked up the hand again, and using two long fingers, pushed them against the pulse point on the inside of the wrist. He felt the soft throb beating rhythmically against his digits, and for some reason, relief relaxed his muscles, which he didn't know was stiff and painful.

But he knew something was off. The hand he was holding in-between his own was cold. Strangely so. It was like holding onto a block of ice. How did he miss it? Shuffling closer to the bed so he was on the edge of his seat, his fingers trailed up the blonde's arm, over the curve of his shoulder and up his jaw, coming to land on his forehead. No fever. It was just as cold as the rest of him.

But why was he so unnaturally cold? He wanted to know. Now. Quickly looking around, he located Tsunades' desk on the opposite side of the room, with what looked like a pile of files balancing precautiously on top. Getting out of the chair, he walked briskly over and rummaged through the files, hoping for the photos to be attached to each folder with a paperclip. But no such luck. The front of the disgustingly orange folders only held the names of the patients. And unluckily, he didn't know the name of the blonde.

Sasuke sighed in frustration. Maybe, just _maybe_ this boy had some sort of rucksack with him that held his name. But one glance around the office smashed that idea. No sort of bag in sight. He ran his hand through his hair in frustration, staring at the bed once more. At the end of the bed, he noticed a sheet of white paper attached to a clipboard. Smirking, he strode over and plucked it away from the tape, eyes roaming quickly over the small font.

 _Name: Uzumaki Naruto._

 _Age: 16_

 _Gender: Male_

 _Diagnosis: Serious case of Hypothermia._

Ah ha! Sasuke smiled triumphantly, but it quickly vanished as he reread it. _Hypothermia? That's really serious. Why doesn't he have more blankets?_ Face blank, he rummaged through the shelves for more bedspreads, pulling a think, navy blue one down. He swiftly covered the blonde with it, tucking in the unresponsive arms and making sure it was tucked in tightly.

 _There,_ he thought, nodding at his handy work. But he then froze. What brought him to do that? Uchiha's _never_ care about anyone but themselves. He acted on impulse. Yeah, that was it. Plus, he didn't want the kid dying on him while he was watching. Even he, an Uchiha, wanted to avoid Tsunades' temper, and probably an over-protective guardian.

He was only doing this for his own sake.

But then, why didn't he believe it?

-x-

Kakashi groaned, being yet again dragged into a shop. "Honestly, Tsunade," he grumbled, yanking hard, stopping the hyper blond in her tracks. "I think signing up in over ten shops is plenty. Save some jobs for the rest of the town, okay?"

Tsunade sighed in defeat. "Yes, I guess you've signed up for enough, but I only wanted to make sure, you know?"

"I appreciate it, Tsunade. Thanks."

"Don't mention it, please. You know you can always count on me!" she stuck out her tongue playfully, closing one golden eye. "Anyway, I bet you want to get back to that lad of yours, right?"

"Of course." Kakashi replied stiffly, running long fingers through his hair. "Do you trust Sasuke?"

"Hm?" She looked at him, eyes wide in surprise. "You don't?"

Kakashi hesitated, starting to walk back towards the tower. "No. But I trust your judgement."

Tsunade stayed quiet, but frowned as Kakashi sped up their pace, the tower top now poking over the colourful roofs of the other buildings. She could understand why Kakashi didn't trust the Uchiha. Even she, at first, was wary of such an unstable lad that had only just lost his family. But, as time passed, she realised that Sasuke, despite his cold exterior, was warm and caring. He just needed the right person to bring it out. And she couldn't think of a better person than Naruto.

Even unconscious, she could tell that the blonde will be loud and sunny... the exact opposite of Sasuke. However, she thought that they would be good together, and hopefully become friends.

Before she knew it, they were walking down the corridor to her office, their footsteps echoing loudly, Kakashi tugging on her arm to hurry up. Even with her trust for the Uchiha, she could still feel the niggle of nerves squirming in her stomach.

Kakashi barged through the door, odd eyes scanning the room wildly. He spotted the Uchiha sitting in a wooden chair next to the bed, dark eyebrows raised at him. He glared back, quickly jogging over to them, eyes critically scanning the blonde, sighing in relief when he spotted nothing wrong.

"Good afternoon, Sasuke." Tsunade chirped happily, moving over to them, smoothing over the blankets and breaking the tight tension. "How is Naruto?"

Sasuke stayed quiet for a few seconds, staring at them with his smouldering black eyes. "He was cold so I covered him in an extra blanket. Is that okay?"

Tsunade positively beamed, golden eyes sparkling happily. "That's fine Sasuke! Thank you for doing this. You can visit him whenever you want to, ok?"

Sasuke nodded, glancing at the bedridden blonde before walking out of the room, hands in his pockets. Kakashi stared after him, wondering if letting the two teens get to know each other is such a good idea.

He guessed that only time would tell.

-x-


	7. The Past Long Forgotten

-x-

The past long forgotten

-x-

Naruto didn't like this. He was trapped in his memories, the ones he shoved to the back of his mind to be forgotten in time. They were bright and vivid, as if he was there right at this moment, and they felt so real.

The darkness swirled as a memory was brought forth, and Naruto landed painfully on the soft carpet of a warm red room. There were two other people seated on a tan leather sofa, and a baby sitting in the middle, a blue dummy bobbing around in his little mouth. The father laughed a smooth deep chime, his blue eyes squinting with happiness. His fingers carded through the little boys' blonde locks, which looked silky and soft. The man's own hair shone in the sunlight that was blaring through the windows, slightly darker than the boy's. The baby also had his father's eyes, but they were wider and brighter, the blue so deep and unusual compared to the dad's sky blue ones.

The mother looked nothing like her son at first glance. She had long red hair that reached down to her knees, and the locks that would cover her grey/blue eyes were pinned back with a single yellow clip. Her smile was gentle and kind, and the curve of her nose and that smile was inherited by the baby.

Naruto stared with wide eyes. He pushed himself up to his feet, and covered his mouth with his hands.

He was looking at his parents.

He had almost forgotten what they had looked like.

Stumbling forwards on weak legs, he stood in front of the happy family of three, the two adults staring at the baby with love and adoration in their eyes. Naruto reached out a trembling hand, intending to touch his mother's cheek, wanting to see how smooth her skin was under his fingers. However, they went straight through her. Choking back a sob, his hand retreated, his fingernails biting into the tender flesh of his palm and he clenched them into a fist.

He wanted to touch them, to feel their warm skin, to see them alive and with him again. But he knew that he would never see them the way he wanted for the rest of his life. And only then, when he dies, will he be reunited with them.

His eyes then stared at the baby, the younger Naruto, the unmarked child gargling happily, clapping his podgy hands clumsily as his dad pulled silly faces. His smooth cheeks were unblemished and clear, unlike the older Naruto's, which were scarred for life with those ugly whisker marks adorning them forever.

Quickly brushing the tears from his eyes, he sat down in front of the happy trio, watching as they played and giggled and loved each other, not knowing that in six years' time, their time together would be over.

Then suddenly the image shifted, blurring into the darkness before another memory took its place, this time at a local park.

The sky was blue and the sun was a white disk shedding its golden light onto the world. The wind was nice and gentle, smelling of flowers and summer. Along one of the stone paths, a little boy of four was pulling his father along by a small hand, leading him to the swing set.

"Daddy!" he cried, smiling brightly and tugging relentlessly on his father's fingers. "Push me, daddy!"

Minato, the father, laughed lightly, picking up the young Naruto and blew a raspberry on the child's stomach before placing him into the child's swing. The older Naruto stood in the distance, in the shadows of the green rustling trees. Tears appeared in his wide blue eyes as he watched his younger self squeal in delight and thrill as his father pushed him, laughing in that low, soothing voice.

Naruto missed them, and looking back at these memories only made the ache inside his heart that much more painful. But these memories, despite the pain, were ones to cherish and to love, ones to remember instead of all the bad times. He was grateful for the time with them, and that shouldn't be overshadowed by the memory of their death.

His thoughts must have been triggering the memories, because the next thing he knew, the image of the sunny day was blurring back into the darkness, and before his eyes, his old bedroom swirled before him.

A sleeping, six year old Naruto was on his stomach huddled in his blankets, blonde hair falling over closed eyelids, little hands up by his small mouth. A night light shone dully in the corner, casting just enough light to make out the shape of the objects in the room.

In the still quietness, a creak was heard from downstairs. The older Naruto stumbled back, eyes wide and hands covering his mouth as he realised what memory this was.

"No…no... It can't be!" he murmured hysterically to himself. He could feel his heart pounding fast and erratically in his chest, and a light sheen of cold sweat clammed up his hands and forehead.

But no matter how hard he wished and pleaded, this was the memory when it all ended.

The night his parents died.

The sounds of footsteps were loud and penetrating, splitting the silence. It was an endless sound, the soft _thump thump_ of shoes on the cream carpet of the stairs. Naruto's breath hitched painfully as those footsteps stopped once the person reached its target: his parents' room.

The sleeping child did not stir as the person opened the door that sealed his parents from the rest of the world. Silence fell again, until a piercing scream of a woman shattered it –

The young child bolted upright, blue eyes wide and clouded with tiredness. He didn't know what was going on. Clutching his stuffed fox close to his chest, he slipped from his bed and shuffled his way to his parent's room.

"Mama?" he cried as he stepped out the room. He turned towards his parent's room, the door ajar, letting a sliver of amber light blare through the crack, breaking the darkness. "Daddy?"

Stubby fingers pushed cautiously against the door –

"Let her go!" Minato cried within the room. Naruto could see the pure terror on his face, the way his eyes were wide and dilated, and his tan skin pale and slick with cold sweat. Little Naruto paused. Did they have a friend round?

Another scream sounded, along with a pained grunt and a loud crash as something hit the wall. The child jumped, clutching the fox closer to his body.

"Daddy?" he said louder, voice high in fright and body trembling.

The older Naruto stood still, skin a pale, sickly white as he was forced to watch.

"Minato!" his mother cried, her voice desperate and fearful. Little Naruto, despite his trembling limbs, set his jaw in determination. No one hurt his mama and daddy!

"Mama!" he yelled as he burst through the door, feet stumbling on his too long pyjama pants. "Daddy!"

"Naruto, NO!"

Little Naruto looked up into his mama's eyes, seeing them wide with fright and now terror as she watched her little boy run in on their murder. Around her thin neck was a pair of beefy hands, and attached to those hands was a man clad in black, all his skin covered except his eyes.

"Naruto, run!" This time it was Minato's voice, emitting from his place in the corner. He scrambled to his feet, and ran over to where the intruder held his wife, slowly strangling her to death –

Minato slammed into the man, knocking him over and making him release Kushina. He pinned the man in black down, trying to ignore the struggles the stranger beneath him. "Kushina! Grab Naruto and run!"

"But what about you!" She screamed in reply, grabbing little Naruto round the waist and cradling him in her arms.

"Don't worry! Just go!"

Kushina hesitated, but seeing the pleading in her husbands' eyes, she turned and ran, grabbing her phone on the way out –

The man gave an almighty roar, shoving Minato off of him and pushed himself to his feet, slamming his fist into the blonde's stomach before running after the red-head and her child –

He caught her half way down the stairs. He wanted to see her scream, plead him to stop… and he knew how to get that.

He pushed her the rest of the way down, her body instantly curling around little Naruto, shielding him as the stairs bruised and battered her body. The stranger smirked, following behind, listening to her quiet grunts.

Kushina pushed herself against the nearest wall, knowing that all escape was impossible now. He had blocked the exits with his body.

Suddenly, a hand shot out and took the sobbing Naruto from out of her arms. Kushina shouted, reaching out, trying to pull her child back into the safety of her arms. The man tutted and side-stepped, narrowly avoiding the glass vase that was thrown at his head, the glass shards now littering the carpet.

"You try anythin' funny and this kid 'ere will get it. You 'ear?" He pulled out a dagger and held it to the child's neck, and Minato quickly held up his hands, moving next to Kushina.

"P-please… let Naruto go… please…" Kushina begged, pearly tears rolling down her pale cheeks. Minato, however, stood tall and strong, trying to imitate the man into letting him go.

However, the man only chuckled. He looked down at Naruto, who was holding onto his stuffed fox for dear life. "Ahh, you like foxes, ay? Well, let's make sure you'll never forget this 'ere moment." He held the child against his chest, pinning down his legs and arms, and drew the dagger to the child's cheek. In a swift swipe, he cut the clear skin, making the child squirm in his arms, a painful scream ripping from his throat. He did it twice more, and did the same on the other cheek.

Naruto's parents watched helplessly as their child was cut, leaving bloody, raw whisker-like marks that would scar his skin forever. Minato was dying to jump forward, but he knew, with the dagger so close to his child's face, it could end in disaster.

"You bastard!" Minato opted for instead, rage pooling in his blue eyes, eyebrows furrowed, and lips twisted in anger.

The man, who was currently staring at the crying Naruto, who had blood coating his cheeks, looked up with crazy dark eyes and without a second thought, chucked the child to the side like he was nothing but a pile of waste. Clenching the now bloody dagger in his gloved fist, he made his way over to Kushina and Minato, dagger poised to strike, not caring if the 6 year old was watching –

The older Naruto jumped back. He didn't want to see it again! Turning around, he looked wildly for an exit, but he didn't know how to get out of this nightmare. He was trapped. But then he realised. This was a dream, so he must be asleep. He just needed to wake up! Closing his eyes, he tried to ignore his parents' screams as they were stabbed to death, and focused on feeling his body, the air in his lungs, the hand holding onto his own –

That's it! Holding his breath, he concentrated on that single touch, and suddenly, he was surrounded by darkness. Opening his eyes, he looked around, and saw a tiny pinprick of light, and he instantly knew that was where he was supposed to go.

Still shaking from the onslaught of unwanted memories, he ran towards the light. It grew as he got closer, bigger and brighter, and his mind cleared, like a sleepy haze finally disappearing after a long period of time. His could feel his body, the whoosh of air in his lungs, and that hand that still held tightly onto his own.

However, as soon as he went through the white light, pain attacked his body. His skin prickled agonisingly, like pins-and-needles throughout his physique. His throat felt like it was on fire, and when he grunted from the sudden pain, it flared and tore his gullet even more so.

The hand clutching his suddenly tightened, and from behind his eyelids, a shadow blocked what light made it through. His ears picked up a strange buzzing noise, but as his ears cleared, he recognised it as a voice.

"N…to?"

He knew that voice, but couldn't put a name on it. It was warm and friendly… safe. However, still in the throes of his memories, he found himself unable to open his eyes.

"Ca…ou…he…me?"

 _Yes!_ He wanted to scream, but his lips wouldn't listen. He felt like he was trapped in a cage inside his own mind, unable to escape or control his numb body.

"Naruto!"

That voice, so desperate and urgent, made Naruto try his hardest to break through the weird spell, and finally, _finally,_ he managed to open his eyes. He was met with white. It was so shockingly bright, that he had to turn his head and close them again to stop the onslaught of light.

He felt the hand holding his own move up his arm to his shoulder, until it landed tangled in his hair. He turned his head back and cracked his eyes open once more, sighing in relief when the light didn't feel like it was about to burn out his eyeballs.

A face was hovering above his, miss-matched eyes staring intently at him, and he instantly knew who it was.

"Ka-" he winced, face screwing up as pain tore through his throat, and suddenly, a glass of water was pressed against his lips. He drank greedily, realising just how thirsty he really was. The cold water soothed his burning throat and he was able to speak with only a slight twinge.

"Ugh… W-what happened?"

"That's not important, Naruto," Kakashi murmured whilst he helped Naruto prop himself up. "We are safe now, and that is all that matters. How are you feeling?"

Naruto grimaced. "Terrible. What about you?"

Kakashi chuckled, taking a seat on the side of the bed. "I'm fine, Naruto… What hurts?"

"Everything…" Naruto muttered, his blue eyes curiously looking round the strange office. He looked back at Kakashi. "Where are we?"

"A small town called Konoha." Kakashi smiled. "As I said, we are safe now. Shall I get Tsunade?" 

"Who –"

"KAKASHI! Why didn't you come and get me as soon as he awakened?!"

Naruto's head swivelled round and saw a blonde lady with gold fire burning in her eyes. When she saw him looking at her, the angry look vanished from her pretty face and she smiled brilliantly, walking over to the bed.

"Naruto!" she chirped, taking a seat on the other side of the bed. "Nice to see you're finally awake!"

"Err..." Naruto deadpanned.

"Oh! I'm Tsunade… Kakashi's friend. It's nice to meet you!" she held out a pale manicured hand for him to shake.

"Hello." Naruto smiled, the woman's happy attitude infecting him as well. He took her hand and they shook.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, her happy face fading into a concerned one in a matter of seconds. Naruto blinked, surprised at how fast the woman could change personalities.

"Terrible. You?"

Tsunade frowned but then smirked. "You're very polite, aren't you? And I bet you do. Your body has to get used to your normal temperature."

Naruto blushed and looked down at his fingers, shocked to see them so pale. Looking up quickly, he asked again, "What happened?"

Tsunade turned to Kakashi, eyebrows raised. "Yes Kakashi, what happened?"

The silver-haired spy shot a glare at Tsunade before turning to Naruto.

"Do you remember we were being chased by those cars?" At Naruto's nod, he carried on. "Well I failed to notice the drop in front of us because the tree branches covered it, and we were plunged into the lake below. Remember?"

Naruto looked back at his fingers. He remembered feeling cold, so, so cold… and darkness. He looked up sharply. "Why am I in bed?"

"Naruto, you had Hypothermia."

The small blonde looked over at Tsunade and nodded. "Alright. Thanks for helping me."

Tsunade smiled. "I bet you're dying for a bath. You stink of rotten lake water."

Kakashi chuckled as Naruto lifted his arm and sniffed it, pulling a face at the putrid smell. "A bath would be nice." He grinned.

"Kakashi, help him up, would you?" Tsunade asked, walking off to what Naruto presumed was the bathroom.

Naruto shoved back the quilt, and to his shock, found himself only in his boxers. He glared at Kakashi, who chuckled.

"Tsunade had no clothes that fitted you," he explained. "And besides, it was easier for you to warm up like that."

Naruto hummed as he swung his legs over the side, and gripping the metal bed frame, dropped onto his feet. Kakashi was there in and instant, arms held out ready to catch him if he fell.

Naruto burst into laughter. "I'm not disabled, Kakashi," he giggled. "I can walk on my own."

"I know that!" Kakashi said disbelievingly as he retreated a little, but still held his arms out. "But you've been in bed for a while; your legs may be a bit wobbly."

"A while? How long was I out?"

"four days."

Naruto gasped. "Four days!? That's mad…"

"Come on Naruto, the bath is waiting for you. No offence, but you really do smell."

"Thank you Kakashi. So do you."

-x-


	8. Hold On

-x-

Hold On

-x-

It had been a few long days for Naruto. Kakashi and Tsunade constantly watched him, and he was, of course, restricted to the bed. He was tortured as the sun beamed in from the windows, because he felt the need to go outside and do _something._ The office was hot and stuffy, and he constantly fidgeted.

Just as he thought of disobeying the two annoying adults, Kakashi came sauntering into the room, a half-grin plastered on his pale face.

"Ah, Naruto. I need to pop out for a job interview, and as Tsunade is unable to watch you, a friend of hers will be coming. Is that alright?" Naruto could hear the slight growl that entered Kakashi's velvety baritone at the mention of the woman's 'friend.'

"I'm 16!" the blonde cried, throwing his hands up in incredulity. "I can look after myself, Kakashi! I do not need a babysitter!"

Kakashi reached up a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Naruto –"

"No, Kakashi." Naruto's voice was firm, solid, and determined. "I've looked after myself for this long… I can handle a few hours!"

"Listen to me, Naruto!" Kakashi finally yelled, gripping Naruto's shoulders and giving them a firm squeeze. "They were chasing us for a reason! I have no idea why, but I will not risk you being taken by them! You will stay here, with Sasuke, and if you leave the room, you will be in big trouble. Do you understand!?"

Naruto froze. Never before had Kakashi shouted at him like that. This whole thing must be pretty serious if Kakashi was scared. And Kakashi was never scared. Naruto nodded quickly, an apologetic look on his face.

"Alright, Naruto. I have to go… be careful, okay?"

"I'll try." Naruto replied, smiling slightly as he watched Kakashi leave the room. He sighed before running a hand though his messy hair, falling back onto his puffy pillows. Great. Not only was he stuck in this room, he _apparently_ needed to be babysat too.

Naruto frowned. Just when was this _friend_ coming? Even though he hated the thought of being babysat, it would be nice to meet and talk to some other person besides Kakashi and Tsunade. He was starting to feel lonely.

Sighing, he rested his forearm over his eyes, and due to his own thoughts, failed to notice the door opening. However, he did hear it close. Removing his arm and sitting up, he looked over at the dark figure standing by the door.

"Who are you?" he asked, brushing aside his fringe that fell into his eyes.

The other boy stared at him with his impassive black eyes, not a single emotion flickering through them. He crossed his arms and lent back against the wall. "Sasuke."

Realisation broke across the blonde's face, and he smiled widely. "I'm Naruto," he chirped. "And you don't have to watch over me because 'Kashi said so. I can look after myself."

"Hn."

Naruto frowned. "You're not very talkative, are you?"

"Hn."

"I'll take that as a no…" Naruto lent back against his pillows, and started to bite his lip. He didn't know what to think about Sasuke. From first impressions, he looked like a right jerk, and in the few minutes that they talked – sort of – he knew that to be true. Of course, he also had this Emo look going on; black hair, pale skin, dark clothes… a look that said "Mess with me and I'll kick your ass."

Sasuke, on the other hand, was also watching Naruto. He was taken aback by his eyes. _Blue… his eyes are blue…_ He thought that if he stared at them for longer than a few seconds he would get lost in those deep irises. Sasuke, of course, also grimaced at how bright and talkative Naruto was… he was the complete opposite of himself.

Sighing, Sasuke walked towards the chair located next to the bed and he slumped unceremoniously into it. Leaning back and crossing his arms, he continued to watch the blonde.

Naruto, feeling the raven's eyes, turned to look at him and recoiled at the sharp look in the obsidian irises. Swallowing, he said, "So, how old are you, Sasuke?"

"17."

"Damn!" Naruto swore. "You're older than me! I'm 17 in October."

"Hn, Idiot."

Naruto blinked. That was the first time someone called him stupid. Scrunching his nose, he replied, "I'm not stupid, Sasuke-bastard!"

"Shut up."

Naruto spluttered. How dare the stuck-up bastard tell him what to do? "No! You can't tell me what to do, Sasuke-bastard!"

Sasuke smirked. "Oh I think I can, Idiot. I'm older than you by three months, and I'm your babysitter."

Naruto groaned, flinging his arms over his eyes. He'd forgotten about that. Sighing, he hoped that Kakashi would be back soon.

-x-

It was a few long hours before Kakashi came back, and when he walked into the room, he had the biggest smile plastered on his face. How Naruto knew that was by his eyes becoming crescent moon shaped.

Naruto smiled as soon as his guardian walked in, pushing himself up onto his forearms. "Kakashi! How did it go?"

"Good," Kakashi replied, ruffling Naruto's hair. "It's better than good, actually. I've got a job!"

A huge smile broke out across the blonde's face, lighting up the whole room. "That's brilliant, Kakashi! What is it?"

At this, the silver-haired man scratched the back of his head, smiling sheepishly. This put Naruto on edge, and he swung his les over the side. Kakashi, what is it?"

Kakashi smiled reassuringly, hearing the slight rise in his boy's tone that indicated fear. He walked over to his wide-eyed charge and sat next to him, ignoring Sasuke altogether. He lifted his hand and stroked a scarred cheek gently.

"Naruto… one of the people interviewing me recognised me from the Okutama ANBU police course, and she saw me in action. She instantly signed me up for the ANBU here and I have the job. It's now my duty to protect the Hokage and the village, and by doing this, I can watch out for those people-

"No."

Kakashi spluttered, turning to the blonde sitting ridged next to him. His cheeks were flushed, but his skin was pale and beading with sweat. He wrung his hands in his lap.

"You're leaving me again?" Naruto's voice was forced, and the blonde could feel anger bubbling inside his stomach. "What-why? I thought you were going to stay with me this time? I thought this time was different!"

"Naruto..." Kakashi winced, guilt threatening to overtake the need to protect Naruto at all times. He knew that the job will be time-consuming, and he will be on call 24/7, so he could understand Naruto's frustration and worry. However, he would rather eliminate the threat before they get hold of his charge. "There are people after us, and I know what they look like! Who else is better to be on guard than me?"

"But Kakashi-" tears glistened in the deep pools of blue and spilled over his flushed cheeks. He was obviously too upset to carry on. Kakashi's heart clenched painfully at the sight.

"Look at me, Naruto," he murmured, wrapping his arms around the shivering, sobbing teen and pulling him into his side. He smiled sadly when two glistening eyes looked up at him. "When will you believe me that I'm never going to leave you? I'm doing this to protect you, Naruto. I can't stand the thought of people after us, and they know that my weakness is you. I will NOT let them use you to get to me! Do you understand? That's why I accepted this job."

Kakashi sighed in relief when he felt the blonde nod in his side, and felt quivering hands clutch his top.

"Everything will be okay, Naruto. I promise."

-x-


	9. The Other Side Of The World

-x-

Other Side of the World

-x-

The next day dawned bright and sunny; the blue sky was clear, and the sun was beating down heavily onto the ground. The air was crisp and fresh, biting cold with the autumn wind. For Naruto, the day couldn't get any better. He was given the all clear from Tsunade, and he was currently waiting for Kakashi to come and take him out of the stuffy office.

Naruto drummed his fingers against the side cupboard, swinging his legs that hung off the side of the high bed. He _couldn't_ wait to get outside! He wanted to feel that biting wind, the smell of decomposing autumn leaves, the crunch of gravel under his feet.

But of course, Kakashi would take his time in fetching him some suitable clothes. Because they lost their luggage in the chase, they have been stuck with the clothes on their backs from that night. Kakashi was the lucky one, though. Tsunade managed the find some of her brother's clothes that somewhat fitted Kakashi, so poor Naruto was left with some smelly, stained garments.

Knowing that his guardian was always late, he sat back with a sigh, staring at the white ceiling. He wanted to go out and see the town. He wanted to see if it was anything like Okutama, with grey pavements and vehicles zooming to and fro. He will miss the small town, but he knew that a new start would be good for him and for Kakashi.

He hoped that the people here wouldn't shun him like they did back in Okutama. He hoped that the story of him killing his parents didn't reach this town, and that maybe he'll have a chance of making real friends.

The doors clicking open pulled him out of his thoughts, and he sat up quickly to see Kakashi smiling with a few bags in his hands.

"Yo, Naruto! Are you ready to go?"

Naruto grinned, jumping up excitedly. "Of course! I'll die if I spend another second in this room!"

"We wouldn't want that now, would we?" Kakashi smirked, handing over a blue bag. Naruto took it and instantly dug inside, pulling out a pair of denim jeans, a black t-shirt, an orange hoody and a pair of black trainers. Grinning widely, he quickly pulled the items on before wrapping his arms around Kakashi's stomach, laying his head on his chest.

"Thank you, Kakashi." He murmured into the soft fabric that covered the taller man's chest.

Kakashi, though startled, chuckled lightly and placed his hands on Naruto's shoulders. "It's alright, Naruto. Really."

Naruto could feel tears prickling in the corners of his eyes, and he quickly began blinking to try to get rid of them. He didn't realise he would get emotional over some clothes. However, for Kakashi to give him the first gift since his parents died… he was just so grateful to the older man. Reluctantly, he pulled back, beaming up at Kakashi. "Can we go now?"

Kakashi ran his fingers through the blonde's thick, unruly hair. "Of course, Naruto. Follow me."

Naruto wasn't sad to be leaving the office, and as they walked out, he closed the door behind them, hoping that he wouldn't end up in that bed again anytime soon. Striding through a maze of hallways and twisting stairs, they finally made it to the outdoors.

Naruto had to pause at the exit, staring in shock at his new hometown.

Konoha was nowhere near the same as Okutama. Instead of the constant cover of grey clouds the sky was a brilliant cobalt blue, and clouds floated by lazily without a care in the world. the boring murky pavements was nothing compared to the cream slabs that covered the floor, and colourful autumn leaves bejewelled the thin branches of the trees and covered the ground in a sea of reds, browns and oranges.

People took no notice of them as they walked through the street, and even if they did, Naruto wouldn't have seen because he was enraptured by the colourful houses that lined the road. They were painted different shades of pastel colours, ranging from pale pink to soft blue. Much to Naruto's disappointment, there were no orange.

Breathing in the cool fresh air, Naruto asked, "What are we doing today, Kakashi?"

"Hmm?" Kakashi was too captured by the sheer beauty of the town. "Oh. Well we can't live here without a house now, can we?"

Naruto's eyes widened and excitement bubbled in his stomach. "We're getting a house? That's wicked!"

"I'm glad you think so, Naruto." Kakashi chuckled. "Now come on, I think it's just around here… somewhere."

Grinning, Naruto followed his guardian up a narrow dirt road that broke off from the street. Dense clusters of trees and berry bushes fringed each side, and Naruto could see squirrels running about if he looked closely. They walked for a little while, the bushes becoming more and more wild and the dirt road turning to dusty stones as they travelled further. Soon, Naruto was able to spot a small house poking out from the branches of a large Weeping willow. The long feathery leaves covered the brick house spectacularly, only leaving the far left top and bottom window uncovered.

They followed the path up to the house, both looking around in wonder. The house was surrounded by trees, lovely and hidden from the town's people. Kakashi could already see them living there. The house was perfect. It was nice and secluded from wondering eyes, and hopefully no one would find them here.

"What do you think, Naruto?" Kakashi asked, musing up his charge's blonde locks with his hand.

"It's brilliant," Naruto replied, voice breathier than normal. He looked up into his guardian's mismatched eyes. "Can we go in?"

"Have patience, little one." Kakashi smirked, giving Naruto a playful clip around the ear. "We have to see if Lucy will be kind enough to show us around."

Naruto nodded and followed Kakashi up the path towards the red painted door. His guardian rang the bell, and a soft tune echoed out. After a minute or so, the door opened and a small, plump woman with bouncy red hair and a blue cooking apron around her waist smiled at them.

"Why hello there!" she greeted. He voice held a touch of an Irish accent. "You must be Kakashi. Come in, come in!"

Smiling at the woman's eagerness, they were ushered into the bright hallway before Lucy closed the door behind them.

The hallway was a daffodil yellow, and pale oak flooring ran throughout the house. Kakashi slipped off his shoes and places them neatly on the shoe rack, Naruto copying him.

They trailed after Lucy as she led them to the kitchen, both looking around curiously. The scent of freshly baked cookies hung heavily in the air, making the house smell sweet and friendly.

The kitchen had the same oak flooring from the hallway, but the walls were a lime green with cream and black tiles.

Lucy turned to face them. "Welcome to my home," she greeted happily. "I hope you will find what you are looking for here.

"The house is around seventy years of age, and has belonged to my family ever since it was first built. The reasons why I want to sell it are mainly because my partner has recently moved to America, and I'll soon be moving there and I simply can't keep this house as well.

"This house has now been on sale for a few months, and I recently lowered the price to get more buyers. Sadly, no one was interested and so moving to America has been prolonged much longer than I would have hoped. I hope that you will take care of the place for me."

Naruto frowned. Why did she tell Kakashi to take care of the house? Weren't they only looking?

"The house has no garden, however it is on its own land, and so all the grass until the forest is yours. The area is quiet and secluded, and you also have no neighbours to worry about. Additionally, there is a lovely lake about a half hour's walk from here through the forest, and it's perfect for a swim in the summer. I'm sure you will like it, Naruto.

"Now, would you like a tour?"

Still trying to process all the information, Naruto gave a nod, and they both followed Lucy throughout the house.

The living room was a warm, deep red, and a burning fireplace stood magnificently in the centre of the far wall. Chocolate brown leather sofas were pushed against two other walls, both able to see the flat screen TV above the fireplace.

"The house comes with everything you see," Lucy explained, smoothing down her apron. "You pay no extra for the furniture."

Upstairs, there were two bedrooms and a bathroom. The first bedroom was the master, large and bright with a double bed in the middle. The walls were a duck egg blue, and the curtains and bed sheets matched.

The second bedroom was slightly smaller, and much to Naruto's delight, it was a bright copper orange. A double bed was in the same position as the last room, and instead of drapes, a wooden blind covered the window.

Kakashi chuckled from behind him. "Do you like it?" he asked with a smirk.

Naruto nodded enthusiastically, grinning brightly.

"That's good," the silver-haired man mused. "Because this is your new room."

"What?" Naruto said as he turned to his guardian, a shocked look on his face. "You mean this is our house? Really?"

"No," Kakashi replied. "I thought I'd let you live here with Lucy until it got a seller." He watched as the sparkle disappeared from the blonde's eyes and a crestfallen look overtook the shock.

"Oh…"

"Oh Naruto," Kakashi sighed, running his fingers through the blonde unruly hair. "Do you really think I would leave you with a stranger?"

Realisation broke across Naruto's face, and a dry chuckle escaped his lips. "You really need to work on your jokes, Kakashi. Your humour is terrible."

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "That it is, Naruto. That it is."

-x-

After a few tiring hours of looking around, Naruto and Kakashi found themselves curled up on one of the chocolate sofas in the living room, both cradling a cup of hot tea in their hands. Lucy sat opposite them, her cheeks rosy and a large kind smile on her face.

"Thank you for all this, Lucy." Kakashi said, taking a sip of his hot beverage. "I appreciate you taking time out of your busy day to show us around your marvellous home."

"No worries, no worries, Kakashi. It was my pleasure to show you around. I never expected to get such a great response to my house!" she turned to Naruto. "You know, as soon as Kakashi saw this house the other day, he wanted to buy it,"

"Really?" the boy asked, curiousness seeping into his voice.

"Aye," Lucy nodded. "Something just drew you in, right Kakashi?"

Kakashi started, not expecting the blue gaze that landed on him. "Hai. It just feels like home. Dou you feel it too, Naruto?"

"Yes," Naruto grinned. "When can we move in?"

Lucy laughed, her red hair bouncing on her shoulders. "You're an eager little one, aren't you? Well, my flight to America is set for this Saturday, so you can move in then, if you so wish."

Naruto turned wide eyes to Kakashi, the irises large and blue. "Can we, Kakashi? Please?"

"Naruto, even if I said no, Tsunade would kick us out anyway." He rolled his eyes, but Naruto could see the mirth that danced in his miss-matched eyes.

Naruto laughed, literally bouncing in his seat. Even though they were only a few good hours away from his old town, he felt he was on the other side of the world, and he loved it.


End file.
